I ran into the dining room to see Baxter finishing off my sandwich. He caught sight of me and slunk over to hide behind Vi.
“He’s sorry, Clyde. The sandwich just looked really good,” Vi said, putting a protective hand on his head.
I scowled at them and hit the voice mail button on my phone.
“It’s Mac. Call me.”
I took a steadying breath and stood straighter. I hit callback, and I could tell my blood pressure was rising by the pounding in my head. Here we go.
“Clyde, I need you over here now,” Mac said, in greeting.
“Hi, Mac. It’s been a long time. . . .” I tried for a light and carefree tone, but it didn’t work.
“Save it, Clyde. You’re lucky you’re not under arrest for leaving the scene of a crime.”
“Right. See you in ten minutes.” I clicked the phone shut and took a deep breath. This was going to be worse than I thought, plus I’d have to skip the brownie.
4
The boats bobbed and clanged in the small marina as I drove along River Street. Turning onto Main Street, I was greeted by downtown Crystal Haven. All the storefronts were freshly painted in bright colors for the summer tourist season. Many stores had hanging signs along the street to entice wandering shoppers. Even without the spiritualist draw, it would be a tourist town. It’s situated on the west coast of Michigan, south of Grand Rapids. This makes it close enough to Chicago for weekend travelers and not so far “up north” that it discourages day-trippers. About a mile inland from Lake Michigan, Crystal Haven is fed by a river that forms a small lake, which serves as a protected marina for boats traveling on the Great Lake. We have the usual Lake Michigan attractions: beaches, boating, fishing, and hiking. We also have the largest community of psychics outside of Lily Dale, New York. The early founders of the town settled in the late 1800s, when a large deposit of quartz was discovered and a small group of spiritualists flocked to the area, feeling the crystals would be attractive to the spirits.
While Lily Dale has remained a spiritualist retreat, Crystal Haven has branched out over the years to offer all manner of new age and spa-treatment services. My grandmother had moved here in the 1930s with her parents, who’d seen the promise of money through her “gifts.” She had predicted the stock market crash, and her parents had managed to save most of their nest egg. By the time World War II broke out, she had become famous for her psychic readings and prophecies. WWII opened up a whole new set of clients who might have shied away from spiritualism in their pre-war lives. A steady stream of desperate parents and wives arrived in Crystal Haven to find out if their soldiers were alive and well. Eventually, the focus shifted, and Crystal Haven’s residents realized they would need to branch out if they wanted to remain on the tourist map. The old guard was disappointed by this turn of events and routinely tried to block new businesses coming in that were not purely spiritualist in nature. However, there were enough young and savvy psychics on the town council to allow these “fringe” businesses to set up shop among the more serious spiritualist pursuits.
The split between old and new could only be detected by those living in Crystal Haven. Those listening to the vicious gossip. Aunt Vi’s cat clients were particularly brutal, if she was to be believed. For the average visitor, Crystal Haven was a one-stop shop for crystals, talismans, readings, séances, massages, hypnosis, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and outdoor sports. We even have a golf course.
The small police station is sandwiched between a shop selling crystals and palm readings, and a bookstore specializing in spiritualist titles. Its sign is small and hardly noticeable among the larger and flashier store signs. Tourist towns don’t like to call attention to the need for law enforcement.
I parked and went inside, mentally preparing to see Mac again.
Even the police station entrance is cheerful; it’s painted sunny yellow and features paintings of boats and beaches. Occasionally, it’s confused with a travel agency. I was surprised to see Lisa Harkness behind the reception desk. She’d been a year ahead of me in school, and I’d always thought she would get out of Crystal Haven the moment she got her diploma. She used to say that real life was happening elsewhere. Still wearing the big, frizzy hairstyle from high school and frosted eye shadow, she greeted me with a smile. She was sporting a wedding ring and had a picture of two kids on her desk. So that’s why she’d stayed.
“Hi, Clyde. I heard you were back in town.” She made a few clicks with her mouse and spun her chair to look at me. “Is it a nice change from the city?”
“It’s good to be home for a while,” I said. “Mac called and wanted me to come right over.”
“Oh, I know. He’s been pacing around like a caged animal ever since they got back from Sara’s place. What a horrible shame.” She shook her head.
I cleared my throat and she glanced at me again.